1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods used to automatically track and inventory nonuniform items in real-time, and more particularly to a method and equipment for automated tracking and identification of surgical instruments and consumables in a surgical operating room environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Problems have long existing in maintaining an accurate accounting of tools, parts and components during many types of intricate procedures. These can relate from assembly and maintenance of aircraft engines, to general inventorying of non-uniform parts, and to keeping accurate track of surgical tools during medical procedures. In this last example, the loss of surgical instruments has been one of the major problems for most healthcare facilities for many years. This problem is particularly costly for large size hospitals comprising hundreds of operating rooms, and multimillion dollars of instrument inventory.
Instruments are lost during transfer from and to surgical processing departments, sterilization process and/or operating room procedures. But perhaps the most dangerous of all, they are lost inside the patients. Some studies indicate that surgical teams accidentally leave clamps, sponges and other tools inside about 1,500 patients nationwide each year.
There are several computerize solutions available on the market, which provides tracking of surgical instruments sets. Most systems use barcode-scanning technology to facilitate tracking of instruments through the decontamination process; the inspection assembly, and packaging process; and the sterilization cycle. These systems consider any particular set as a unit and provide list of the instruments comprising the set.
However, verification that set is actually complete is still done manually. Manual counts are performed in surgical processing departments after set assembly and upon return from operating room procedures. It is performed from two to four times by highly trained nurses before, during and after surgery. Manual count is not very reliable. It is destructive and stressful for operating team, open to counting mistakes, leading to multiple re-counts. Additionally, due to nationwide shortage of nurses, other personnel are often understaffed. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this practice is very time consuming leading to underutilization of operating room resources.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.InventorIssue Date6,581,204DeBusk et al.Jun. 17, 20036,430,536Irving et al.Aug. 6, 20026,611,806HarveyAug. 26, 20035,573,529Haak et al.Nov. 12, 19966,384,349VollMay 7, 20026,617,530LinSep. 9, 20035,650,593Morris et al.Jul. 22, 19975,923,001Morris et al.Jul. 13, 1999
Accordingly, there exists a need for a method and mechanism to automatically track and inventory nonuniform items in real-time.